Hosiery-finishing apparatus



Sept. 25, 1928.

1,685,753 T. w. PRossER ET AL HOS IERY FINI SHING APPARATUS Filed May 6,1926 E v Tha/nas I/V. Prosuer Joh/1 H. ywah/bavaq a, 3W f E693. l f

A77 Elkton mj Patented Sept. 25, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFElcE.

THOMAS W. PROSSER AND UOHN H'. WAHLBECK, OF KANKAKEE, ILLINOIS, AS-

SIGNOBS TO ARAMOUNT TEXTILE MACHINERY CO.,

CORPORATION 0F ILLINOIS.

0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A.

nosmnY-FINISHING APPARATUS.

i Application tiled May 6, 1926. Serial No. 107,165.

This invention primarily relates to hosiery finishing apparatus; it hasespecial reference to a system involving primary and secondary heatingagents, the latter being maintained in one or more closed forminginstrumentalities or so-called drying and shaping forms, the primaryheating agent being utilized to impart its heat to the secondary heatingagent.; and it `contemplates a system in which is employed a conduit forthe primary heating agent, this latter (by its presence in the conduit)transmitting heat to the secondary'heating agent in the form, wherebyits walls are heated to dry hosiery superposed thereon.

Present-day practice of finishing hosiery-drying,shaping and creasingit-involves, for the most part, the employment of a series of formsprovided with crease-producing edges and adapted to be interiorallyheated. The forms are usually mounted in line on a table, and thehosiery is placed on the forms by an operator and then, when finished,stripped therefrom. This operation isfrequently called boarding. Thatis, each hosiery-article is placed on form byan operator who movessuccessively from form to form. The forms are heated to effeet af dryingand settingof the fabric simultaneously with the shaping and creasingthereof.

A heating medium, such as steam, is employed to heat the forms; but,where the hosiery is of fine texturesheer-these forms, asheated bysteam, are usually too bot so that the damp hosiery is thereby subjectedto a rather high degree of heat and too high to insure the best results.to premature drying and setting ofthe fabric, undesirable creasing andmarking of the hosiery-article occurs. It is not possible, however,satisfactorily to operate the forms by steam below a certaintempera-ture, and even that is too high for desirable results.

More recently, it has been found that where a medium, such as water, isutilized for imparting heat to the walls of the form, a lower andmore'uniform temperature can be maintained in'those walls, withresultant improvement in the boarding` operations.

Due

Various systems for utilizing this principle have been devised., wherebywater is availed of as a secondary heating agent, it receiving its heatfrom a primary heating agent-in the form of steamwhich is brought intoassociation with the :secondary heating agent. Our inventive-conceptresides in a novel system of associating these two heating agents withintheform, itself. It will be understood that we do not herein broadlyclaim inventorship of the use, in conjunction with hosiery drying andshaping forms, of primary and secondary` heatingagents involving theuse, say, of steam and water, respectively; but we do assertinventorshipof a system which involves, generally, maintaining a body of thesecondary heating agent in the form as a confined heating body andsubjecting it, there, to the heating action of the primary heatingagent, whereby the secondary agentis heated so that it, in turn, willuniformly impart heat to the walls of theform and, thus, to hosiery suierposed thereeon.

y. n a more specific aspect, the invention resides in providing aconduit for the primary heating agent and in mounting on another conduitwhich encompasses that for conveying the primary heating agent one ormore ofthe hosiery-drying forms, these containing a body of thesecondary heating' agent, there being within each form an extension ofthe first-mentioned conduit whereby the primary heating agent isconducted into the form butis not brought into direct association withthe secondary agent therein. The walls ofthe extension are utilized toimpart heat tothe secondary heating agent within the form, and thisagent, in turn, imparts its heat to the walls of the form to dry hosierysuperposed thereon.

In order that the invention may be better comprehended, we have revealedthe same in the accompanying drawings; it being understood, however,that in disclosing the same in a `specific embodiment, we do not therebyintend that it is limited to that embodiment. Furthermore, it is to beunderstoodV that it .is `susceptible of a wide range of variation andmodification without departing from the spirit of the invention orsacrificing any of its salient principles and underlying details. y

In these drawings:

Figure lis .a View in sectional elevation of a hosiery drying andshaping apparatus embodying our invention; y

Figure 2 isa View in horizontal, transverse sect-ion thereof, `on theline 2 2, Fig l;

Figure 3 is a similar View on the line 3 3, Fig. l; and y Fig. 4 is afragmentary View in central rei-tical section, on an enlanged scale,.showw ing the manner of associating certain componente vof thestructure. l

Referring .to these drawings, the refer? .enceecharacter l designates,generally, a hoisery-finishi-ng vinstrumen-tality` o-f the knownParamount type., this being shown .and .describedin United .Sta-tespatent of GeorgecCollid No. 1,204,945, Odated May 14, 1916. Y y

JThis form, preferably Iand as v-shown, Ais hollow to 4proivideaheating-chamber 2 constituted lin par@ bythe side wal-,ls 3 and a4partition 4 Which divides ftheichanaber into channels 5 and 6. Thevconstruction is such that, for Vall practical purposes, the for-rn yis.closedand adapted to conti-ne a body yof secondary 1heating ,agentwhich, in this instance,

is water, though it may be alcohol, `anoleaginous liquid, a salt .insolution, or any other appropriate media.

For a purpose presently to be explained,

' the partition, near lits .lower end, is provided with -an .opening '8.f In practice, a series of these forms will l usually be mounted inalinenient and, pref- ,erably and as here shown, iii-communication witha conduit '9, this `being supported, in any appropniate manner, in ,atable (not shown); i' v I Intenposed between the base l0 of the 4formandtheconduit 9 iis a coup'li-ngmeniber 4l1. Each the forms Tis secured.thereto 4y bolts l2. The coupling is, itself, secured tothe conduitf).by boltsl. i y `rPhe .channels 5 and 6 com-niuflnicate with passageways14 and l4, respectively, `in ythe baseof the form; and these, in turn,register with butgare separated from passageways l5 ,and 16.,respectively., :inV the coupling mem- Y ber. The conduit 9, adjacent theasiounting of each form .thereon,is provided with an aperture ,1T whichregisters rwith the Ypassageway l5 vin the couphng-niember.

Disposed fbetween the lower @face `of .the

Vvbasel() 0f the form land the upper face of the coupling-member Vare yametal plate l8 l a gasketil'tlfpre'ferably of. rubber-and a second,gasket `2O, preferably of asbestos or similar .materiah all of `theseelements being leid lin operative association with the ferie` andcoupling-member Vby the bolts l2.

.conduit or lpipe 23 iwhich extends out of the conduit 9 throughendiittings 24, and is connected at yone 'end,`ito ya thermostaticallly-Lcroai-tizoliled Wille 25, of Vany :appropriate Yity-pe .and'operating'in' the welldtnown manner. l lominunicatiing with fthe valve'25 Yis a steam pipe which extends 'to ia lsuit-able `source of steam.supply (not shown) Aand which is rccmtrolled vby ,a Mal-ye 251'. Y

Upstandling from the pipe 23 and ,extends ing through the apenture J7 in.the conduit r.9Landith-roughtheiehannel Y15 Ain the coupling ll -iswhat 4we :shall herein refer to :as an extension 28 of Ythe `conduit 23,it being, xitself, a pipe which extends into ithe returnipipe-22 ,inxthe channel 5.

Preferably and as shown, Lthe ihousing or retnimqpipe 22 iis ofydiiainetrail d'ilfr'iension larger than that of Ythe pipe '28 fte:provide `an annular space ,28a an `iis :in ieontact with .the body ofwater in the :channel 5.V This .pipe `28 and `the ,pi-pe v22 are 'of -a:height @determined .by the temperature desired in the :secondary,heating agent and lthe tem.- Lperalture ysupplied 1thereto by theprimary heating ,'asgent; rthe less difference between vthe two'.temperatures the gineater :should be .the fheating surface sof the,pipe '22.

The :steam-,pipe 23 connects, beyond the fitting '24, with a watersleg29, this in tum `being vconnected te ,a ,trap 30 and provided with ,avr'pet-cock `3l for draining Water. from the'water-leg. Y

.Mounted :on the cond-uit 49 is .a thermometer 32. Y

The plate 18 .is :provided with an open-ing 33, inkwhich va closure-plugis (threaded. By these means, lthe secondary fluid in troduced into andsealed in keach forni ibefore ther-form is :mounted son the conduit,this operation being-accomplished when lthe yform .is upside down.l/Vhen @these kinstrurnentali-ties have been assembled, 4as hereillustrated, and it is desired toopera-te the apparatus, the valve 2T isyopened @to permit steam to pass through thethermostat-ically-controlled valve 25 into thecondvuit 23 and, thence,through the eX- tension. 28 'into the returnspipe 22, after whichV :anyyapor condensed ycan return through the passageway 28qu fand, thence, inthe space 23", surrounding` thefc'onduit 23 iso leading (through the`Water-leg 29) to the trap 30. Any condensation coming with the steaminto the conduit 23 can also pass through one ofthe members of thewaterleg and, thence, also'to the trap. rl`hethermostatically-controlled valve 25 may be set -to maintain thetemperature ofthe secondary heating agent confined in the form l at anydesired degree, according to the texture of :the fabric being dried. Theopening 33 in the plate 18 permits the introduction of the secondaryheating agent into the chamber 2. This opening having been sealed withthe plug 34, the secondary heating agent thereupon operatesautomatically. It will be noted that, in this instance, heating of thesecondary agent is effected within theform itself, by reason of the factthat the primary heating agent is, through the instrumentalities 22 and28, disposed within the form and, thus, provides for transmission fromthe primary heating agent of heat to the secondary heating agent. 4

It is to vbe understood that the aggregate cross-sectional area of thepipes 22 in the several forms should not exceed the crosssectional areaof the conduit 23thereby to insure that a flow of steam will be suppliedto the interior of each form and uniform heating thereby be effected.

It will be observedthat the members 22 and 28 by reason of theirrelation to each other and the connection of the member 28n totheconduit 23, constitute a heater for the heating agent in they channel 5;that this heater is disposed on one side only of the partition et,v inconsequence of which the liquid in the channel 5, becoming heated, risesto the top of the form, causing another portion of the liquid to descendin the channel 6 on the opposite side of the partition and, thence,through the opening 8in the partition- 4, whereupon it re-enters thechannel 5; and that, thus, circulation within the form is established,and is availed of to represent the liquid to the influence of the heaterin the hchannel 5. It will also be noted that the lower portion of-theform, adjacent the channel 14 and opening 8, is insulated as completelyas ossible b reason of the interpositioning of) the gas et 2O and i. theprovision of the air space constituted in ',tion of readily` andindirectly absorbing heat anddistributing and disseminating it throughthe walls. of the instrumentality to a fabric-article superposedthereon, and disposing within .the instrumentality a conduit for aprimary heating-fluid (such as steam or hot water) adapted to impart itsheat indirectly, only, to the4 confined fluid; the exchange of allheat-units between the heat-ingfluids beinge'ected within theinstrumentality but, alwa s, through a separating wall, such as the walof the conduit, so that the heat absorbed by the instrumentalit isentirely from the secondary heatinguid-as the distributing-medium-andnot at all from the primary heating-fluid because the secondary-fluid isinterposed between it and the heat-absorbing wall of theinstrumentality. Even though the primary heatingfluid operates withinthe instrumentality, it is not in direct association with thesecondary-fluid; it is separated therefrom; and it, thus, imparts itsheat to the walls of the conduit 22 which, in turn, transmits the heatto the secondary-fluid and this, in turn, uniformly distributes theheat-units to the walls of the forming-instrumentality. Were the primaryheating-avent in direct association with the confined fluid, it mightmore or less affect the constituents thereofand eventually render itineffective to distribute heatto the walls of theforming-instrumentality.

Due to the location and arrangement of the primary heating-agent insidethe form, circulation of the secondary heating-agent is facilitated and,thus the body of the liquid is maintained throughout at a more effectivetemperature, with consequent .uniformity of drying effect by the wallsof the forminginstrumentality. 4

Where we have herein used the expression distributin -medium, or similarterms, it.

is to be un erstood that these and equivalent terms comprehend and referto what we have also herein designated the secondary heating-agent orfluid; and weintend by such terms to define the fundamental functions ofthat medium, namely, to absorb and distribute to and through the wallsof the. forming-instrumentality heat which it (the medium) hasabsorbedfrom a primary heating-agent or fluid through an interposed wall, suchas the pipe 22. i

lVhere we have herein employed the term fluid as applicable to-thesecondary heating-agent, we mea-n to define any fluid-medium or Amediathat will absorb heat from the primary heating-agent and conductituniformly to the walls of the forming-instrumentality on which thefabric-article is superposed, whenthe existing temperature doesnotexceed approximately two hundred degrees (2000) F. (Above thistemperature, the benefits of the heating-fluid seem gradually todisappear.) Thus, it will be understood that the term fluid not onlycomprehends liquid, but, if the forming-instrumentality shouldV not becompletely filled with such liquid, also 'vapor which arises Walls .fte:hosiery fsuperposecl thereon, a ,con-V duit iter containing 5aprimarysheating -agent operatllwely .comiectecl .to ,and inoonnaaluiacation Withhthe anterior forf the xterm, anal :an

extension of :the conclu-ittextending into the form for conneyingwitheprimary heating .agenttrom the fconuluift sinto vthe xterm Ito :heat the,Wallis of the cntgnision and thereby heat the secondary heating Iagentin the storni.

.2. A drying-stnucture including` a. `dry,- ,ing-olan :hollow to:contain .a :secondary heat.- ing `agent adapted to impart zheat throughits 'malls :to fhosieny fsupenposed thereon, ya conduit for containing aVlprimary heating agent operatiyely ,connected ite 'and (in.cornmunication with the interior Loff the forni, :an extension on the.conduit and ,extending into the form iiofr Aconveying the pniniaryheating :agent from ,fthe Yconduit into fthe orrn to heat ,the .Wiallsof the .extension and .thereby heat the secondany iheating .agent iinzthe form, and meafns Vter withdrawing the primary heating .agent when.iithas lost ,eilfcieney.

x8. 'A dlryingntnucture including fa .da-ying- .orm hollow to contain .asecondany heating agent @adapted :to impart heat through its waills toihosiery :superposed thereon, .a .con` .-ctuit operatively .connected:to the form ttor 'containing'.a `primary heating agent 'oft latemperature normally higher than that .off :the @secondary agent, an:extension .on fthe conduit 'amil' .afonding feom'mluiication Yhetweenfthe interiors ,of #the ,conduit and torni `and 4adapted to conduct the,primary Sheating agent :from thecondut into'ft'he rfoxrm to :heat ftheSecondany agent itherein, langl means ns- `eooiated with :the .extensionlforv effecting withdrawal .fo-fmthe iprima'ry sheating agent.

4. Afdryingfetructune :including a drying-- ionin hollen7 :to `containfa .second-ary .heatiiri-g agentfadaptnd :to impart heat vth'iao'ugl.its

. .wells rtoshosieryisupenposed ithereon, :means for maintaining theagentiin fthe term, 4a

`.conduit operatively connected to the :torni .for 1containingaypriinary heating Vvagentv of a xtempera'ture :normally higher than:that Lof the v:secondary agent, an extension en the (conduit:protecting into Vthe 4interior 'of the -iormiforcondndting the :primaryheating agentl kinto lthe form, and means'extending into thel iliornu:and encompassing athe extensioniof the/conduit for Vtransinitting`fheat to the .secondary .heating agent P.andfor withdrawing the primaryl-ieatingy agent lfrom theorrn. v Y l L 5, A :drying-structureincludingr va drying- 'form hollow Lto contain a rsecondary heatingagent adapted :to `:impart heat through its .walls to vhosierysuperposedthereon, a con- Lenawee {cluit ,operatively .connected to the foren rforicontainingra :pnimary heating. :agen-t olf a :temperature normallyhigherlthan that .off .the ysecandaay agent, .a pipe .extending trom theconduit into thefinterior vthe xtormn, tand .a second .pipe mounted inthe `:form and 4enconipasaing the .other fpiipe .and '.of 'Jaa-gerVnlianaetral :dimensions :the on the conduit and Pclosed ,at .foneextnemiityiwhereby :the heat ol'vthe .primary heating-agent ,conductedyto `it zbyv the pipe extending Xtrem .the Aconduit is trwnrsxngttedfito,the fseecmdary heating ngentpand the primany :agent w'vthf nhaaavn irom[the xterm. Y y

L6. A drying-etiulctime inelmlinign ,dryingrforin holzlow fto contain ,a.secondary heating agent :adapted to impart heat ith- Dough its Walls tofa .'ahIac-,anticle supenposed thereon, a partition in the form .toprovide .tuto v.channiels therein, the .pantift-ion .being mpertured.adjacent its iower end, .a ,conduit associated weithithe foam forcontaininga-.primany heetting agent, and means ,associated with fthefoonduit rand with one .off .the :channels for :conducting the primaryheating into the .foiun .and thereby heat the secondary heating agenttherein and, also, :to facilitate its circulation ,Within the Eterna.

4A clryiingstructure including a V.coinduit, ya couplingfmeinber mountedftheneon mid iprovided `with 2a plurality ofichannels, a fhogllonr form:on ,the ooupliingamemher Sand provided .with .a partition and `with.channels :registering with fthe channels in the :coupling-member, kaheating medium kin fthe Storm, means .associated with gthe form :forconfining-ahefheating medium therein, a heat- ,extending :into the formand adapted to heat the heatingfmedium therein .at .one /side oit thepartition, and ineens .rendered active @by :the stheninail ,action ofthe :heater .fand operating hy the orce lost grana-ity to fmain'tainfacirculation off said :heating me- Qdfifuin -in 'the form, fthe channelsin Vjthefernl hcing in communication with44 each .other :to ffacilitate`such circulation.

.8. A dwing-structure .includinga conduit, a couplingineinloer mountedthereon and pmivided with a pluralityfotchnnnela ahol- 10W form on fthe.coupling-member `and pro.- .vded :with a partition ,and with Ichannelsregisterlingiwithfthe channelsiimthe,coupling member, la heating medium"in ,the for-n1, means associated :with the form ctorfcon'fimrng theheating naediumfthenein,aiheaierextending into .fthe iforfln :andadapted to @heat the heating finedum therei-naat one side :of thepartition, means rendered active by ythe thermal .action .of the 'heater,and .operating by the Aorcezof .gravity to :maintain circulation of:said :f-heatingmediu-m in .the form, fthe channels in the formEheinrgf'iin lcornniunicaf tion Witheachnthersto ffacilitateisuchcircu-V l lation, :and means associated With.said confining aneans .forinsulating-a {port-ion'A of :the

form whereby heating of the heating medium at one stage of itscirculation isprevented.

9. A drying-structure including two conduits, one within the other, adryingform mounted on one of the conduits, a pipe upstanding from theother conduit and eX tending into the form, a drain-pipe encompassingsaid pipe, a` plate associated with the lower end of the form and inwhich the drain-pipe is mounted, a, coupling-member between the plateand the conduits, the form including a partition dividing its interiorinto channels, the coupling having channels in registerwith those in theform, a thermal Huid confined in the form by the plate, means forclosing the ends of one of the channels in the coupling-member toprovide an air space, the latter, in conjunction with said means,insulating the form from the conduits, and means for connecting the formand coupling-member to one of the conduits.

In testimony whereof We affix our signatures.

THOMAS W. PROSSER. JOHN H. WAHLBECK.

